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St. Petersburg was approved as the site for holding the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which will take place in the fall of 2017. The opening ceremony and the gala dinner will be held in Europe’s most modern convention and exhibition centre – EXPOFORUM.

The anniversary accounting and election meeting of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs will be held on 14-15 December in the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is its 25th anniversary.

The ceremonial opening of the anniversary XXV International exhibition “Peterfood”, the largest in the Northwest food trade, took place in the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 8,000 negotiations on shipments to 50 networks of the NWFD are conducted every year.

Lenexpo held Starcon Halloween on 29–30 October: a festival of fantasy, movies, serials, comics and science. Over 300 co-players from throughout Russia, teams of 12-thematic booths, volunteers and devotees of fantasy and horror participated.

Today was the opening by EXPOFORUM of the All-Russian Forum of Volunteers, which united the social, events, medical, cultural, “silver” and young volunteers of Victory and emergency volunteers. Over 1,000 volunteers from 85 Russian cities were met to discuss the future and the efficacy of the volunteer movement.

On November 14, the AZIMUT hotel hosts one of the most significant business events of the year – the TOP-250 Business Forum – attracting annually 250 businesspeople and representatives of the biggest companies in the North-West.

On October 18, representatives of ExpoForum International and the Vladimir Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry endorsed a cooperation agreement aimed at expansion of the Import Substitution Base and cataloguing domestic manufacturers.

On October 8 to 9, for Saint Petersburg’s inhabitants and visitors, the focus was on the most affectionate purring pets – cats. It was they who were in the spotlight of the new Cats’ World exhibition, organised by the Zooshow’s sponsors.

The first and the key event of the first day of the 6th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum was the Plenary Session on the subject Gas Industry as the Energy Pillar of the Global Economy. The leaders of the largest oil and gas companies of the world assessed condition and capacity of the natural gas market in their countries and in the world in general.

The Annual International Forum of Spatial Development, also known as "Extreme urbanism" or X-URBAN, opened in St. Petersburg today. One of the key events of the Forum’s first day is the 3rd Annual Conference of "Global South. From Strategic Solutions to Tactical Actions", where representatives of government, business, transport and higher education institutions analyze points of growth which may become vehicles for development of southern districts and suburbs of St. Petersburg.

On September 21-23, St. Petersburg hosted the annual festival of cars and motorcycles.LenExpo Exhibition Complex showcased the best tuning projects from all over the country, rare hand-built motorcycles, racing cars, muscle cars, an exclusive collection of hypercars and new products of various automotive concerns.

For three days, one of the ExpoForum pavilions turned into a plant shop, a confectionery company, a beauty salon, a primary school, a woodworking shop and a computer studio.
There are four competitions for professional school and high school students: “Step Into Profession,” “Young Professionals,” and “JuniorSkills” within the WorldSkills Russia program in St. Petersburg, as well as “Abilimpics” = am olympiad of professional skills for people with disabilities.

On September 21, the 34th Citywide Job and Training Fair opened in St. Petersburg. The Employment Service of St. Petersburg celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and the event is presented for the first time at ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center.

The 11th Saint Petersburg International Innovation Forum (PIIF) of this year takes place in conjunction with the 12th International "Russian Industrialist" Forum: the two events have an extensive joint business program, and exhibitions logically complement each other.

ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center presents innovations today.
There are several activities important for the innovation development of St. Petersburg taking place simultaneously, including 20th Anniversary "Russian Industrialist" Forum, St. Petersburg International Innovation Forum, the final leg of "Step into profession" and "Young Professionals" professional skill competitions within the WorldSkills Russia program, as well as the citywide fair of vacancies and training jobs.

On September 19, ExpoForum Convention Center hosted the opening of the 18th Kino Expo International Forum and Exhibition. This is an annual event for professionals in the entertainment and cinema industry, including movie-making, television, cinema and new digital media. Kino Expo, which is attended by over 2,500 representatives of the cinema and media business from 40 countries, is among the three most ambitious global conventions of the cinema industry and is the main industry event in Russia, CIS and Baltic countries.

The 6th press tour at the Plastics Processing Plant named after
"Komsomolskaya Pravda" took place on September 15, finalizing a series of events dedicated to the anniversary project of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg, celebrating the Union’s 20th anniversary.

In 2018, ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center will become a site for the main event in the convention and exhibition industry — the International Congress of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI). Every year the project brings together more than 600 representatives of companies — organizers of exhibitions and forums, as well as convention and exhibition companies from all over the world.

On September 14, pavilion H of the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center hosted the opening of the 4th International Interior and Decor Exhibition "Design & Decor St. Petersburg", organized by Primexpo Company.

On September 14 TASS held a press conference dedicated to the opening of the 9th St. Petersburg International Innovation Forum and "Russian Industrialist" 20th International Forum. This ambitious project bringing together two major industry events will be held at ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center on September 21-23.

On September 12, SWAT men in masks ran around the territory of the Convention and Exhibition Complex and wrung the hands of respectable men in suits, and a police car was on duty at the parking lot for the whole day. However, those were not real SWAT teams, and the rest of the scenery was made of film props.

On September 10-11, all St. Petersburg pupils and their parents meet at ExpoForum to choose their path in sport at at the traditional Opt for Sport event. Every year the project brings together tens of thousands of people.

On September 4, educational workshops, quizes and interactive games devoted to energy saving on were held at Lenexpo’s Red Square. The main surprise for St. Petersburg residents was a concert by the popular singer Yulianna Karaulova and a flash mob with participation of tens of volunteers with balloons.

September 2 is the city Gardener’s Day within the Exhibition and Trade Fair “Agrorus”. Visitors can buy flowers, garden plants, vegetables, fruits, berries, honey and other food products. Concert and entertainment shows are prepared for guest: dancing and vocal groups perform, quizes are held, the Farm of Rural Animals is open.

The Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko noted the great contribution of ExpoForum-International in developing the exhibition, business and other cultural events, and thanked it for organising and holding the International Agroindustrial Exhibition and Trade Fair “Agrorus”. This is the exhibition’s 25th year.

As a part of the Day of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, products of more than 350 enterprises of the Leningrad Region were presented, a broad business programme was organised, and a Centre for Business Purchases was in operation. In the open exhibition space one could buy vegetables, fish, various sorts of cheese, bread and sausages, and visit the Farm of Rural Animals.

On August 30, the XXV International Agroindustrial Exhibition and Trade Fair “Agrorus” started its work in the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre. In its anniversary year, the legendary Russian exhibition represents over 700 companies from six global countries on a new site. Leningrad, Penza, Vologda, Samara, Pskov and other regions present collective booths.

On 4 September, the All-Russian Energy Saving Festival #VmesteYarche will take place in Lenexpo, targeted at promoting the idea of energy saving. The project is organised with support of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs

The traditional August regional teachers’ council united teachers, nursery school teachers, leaders, methods instructors, representatives of legislative and executive authorities of the Leningrad Region, etc. Total number of participants – 1,200 people.

On August 20-28, about 800 manufacturers and suppliers of agricultural products from Russia, Mongolia, China, Georgia, Belarus, Moldova, Uzbekistan and other countries present a wide range of consumer goods, farm products and honey.

The programme of the conference is the most ambitious one for last 12 years - it includes a plenary session and about 10 roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, conferences, public expert discussions and topical public lectures.

Starting August 16, the St. Petersburg Centre for Business Development and Support renewed receipt of applications for subsidies to support small and medium business in 2016, and a special programme “Exhibition and Trade Fair Activities” started working.

On 10 August, in the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, the Orthodox Church held a divine service on the occasion of celebrations in honour of the Day of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God situated on the territory of EXPOROFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre.

On 22 July, the fifth press tour was held of the anniversary project implemented by the St. Petersburg Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs dedicated to the 20th Anniversary Year of the International Forum “Russian Industrialist” to Kozitskiy Plant CJSC with a visit of the pilot IMS district.

From 8 July through 10, more than 2,000 cosplayers, dressed up as movie, cartoon, comics and game characters, take part in StarCon, the 17th annual international festival of science fiction, cinema and science. This year the event is being held for the first time at EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre, occupying a record-setting area of 36,000 sq. metres.

On 29 June, the fourth press tour dedicated to the 20-Anniversary Year of the International Forum “Russian Industrialist” was held in St. Petersburg. For the first time ever, the journalists visited the Jupiter innovation and production company, a small industrial enterprise.

Russia’s leading economic forum opened on 16 June in the most modern convention and exhibition centre in Eastern Europe. Delegations, international companies, businessmen, politicians and public figures from 130 countries, a total of about 12,000 people, participated in the event.

On 15–16 June, the employees of ExpoForum International took part in the Open Volga International Creative Festival for Territorial Marketing and Advertising held in Cheboksary, the capital of Chuvashia.

The first Russian-Chinese business forum was held on 15 June in the St. Petersburg Centre for Import Substitution and Localisation. The event was organised on day one of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum with the support of the St. Petersburg government and the Chinese Consulate General in St. Petersburg.

The St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Creative Union of Culture Workers, the organiser of the XIV Smelt Festival held at the Lenexpo exhibition complex on 14–15 May, confirmed the professionalism of the ExpoForum International team in event organisation.

Today, on 8 June, we celebrate the first-ever Global Exhibitions Day. Sergey Alekseev, the first Russian President of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and the Vice President of ExpoForum International, was the holiday initiator. The event was supported by 28 national exhibition associations of America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

From 6 to 8 June, representatives of the China Business Centre took part in the China Commodity Fair, the national exhibition of high-quality consumer goods from China, which was held at Expocentre, Moscow.

On 7 June, Maria Tubianskaya, Project Manager for Sports Events of the Hosted & Customised Events and Venue Services Division, presented ExpoForum as a multifunctional arena for sports competitions and events at the 5pEXPO International Forum of the Exhibition Industry.

At the 5pEXPO International Forum of the Exhibition Industry held from 6 to 8 June in Moscow, representatives of ExpoForum International spoke about the market trends, problems and prospects, and also presented innovative projects of the company.

On 2 June, Sergey P. Alexeev, Vice President of ExpoForum International, participated in a roundtable discussion of the forum “Future St. Petersburg” dedicated to the possibilities of increasing tourist influx into St. Petersburg. Representatives of the city authorities, travel agencies, hotel and restaurant industry, companies and organisers of cultural events, etc. shared their opinion about the prospects for the tourism industry in the Northern capital.

Training manoeuvres of EMERCOM of Russia ended on the water surface of the Gulf of Finland close to Lenexpo during the Baltic Sea Festival. The task to conduct an inspection parade of resources, men and equipment of ensuring safety at St. Petersburg water facilities was carried out excellently!

On 26 May, the Baltic Sea Festival, the largest boat show in the Northwest, opened at Lenexpo. The festival brought together more than 50 manufacturers of small boats, special materials and equipment, as well as all lovers of water sports and recreation.

More than 60 companies from 53 regions of Russia, as well as from the Republic of Belarus, Italy, Germany and Sweden presented the latest transport industry technological solutions at the SmartTRANSPORT International Innovative Forum of Public Transport from 25 to 28 May at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Global Exhibitions Day is a gift to the world's MICE industry. ExpoForum International decided to hold the best workshop in Russia on effective participation in exhibitions by Nikolay Karasev as a gift to the convention and the exhibition community as a whole.

Solids Russia is a major event in this business sector and will be attended by more than 40 companies from 10 countries. Current issues concerning the processing, storage and transportation of bulk materials will be discussed at the event.

On 3 February, Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted the opening of the first – and still one of buyers’ most-beloved – projects under the Russian Jewellery project: Junwex St. Petersburg. More than 600 participants were on-hand to dazzle St. Petersburg residents and visitors with roughly 1 mln pieces of Russian-made jewellery.

On 2 February, the Import-Substitution and Localisation Centre was the scene of the official opening of Nevsky District Week, devoted to the city’s largest transportation hub and leading industrial centre. The exhibition space was packed with displays by roughly 20 local industrial enterprises both large and small: producers of diesel engines, shipboard machinery, construction-industry wares, porcelain, household detergents, flour, baked goods, clothing and other products.

As of January 2016, Sergey Alexeev, Vice President of ExpoForum International, President of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs, President of UFI, is Special Advisor on the Convention-and-Exhibition Industry in the City of Shanghai.

On-hand to present their stands were 110 companies from Pskov, Arkhangelsk, Saratov and Tyumen Regions and another 20 regions from around Russia, as well as St. Petersburg museums, tour operators and hotels. What’s more, Leningrad Region unveiled a new tourism project based in the Northwestern Federal District – the “Silver Ring.”

On 25 January, representatives of the People's Government of the Municipality of Beijing (PRC) took part in the inaugural session of the bilateral working group on cooperation between St. Petersburg and Beijing, which took place at the Import-Substitution and Localisation Centre, Lenexpo.

ExpoForum International emerged victorious in the “Organiser” nominating category at the Annual Professional Awards of the Event Industry – the 2015 EFEA Awards in Russia. The presentation ceremony took place within the scope of the 5th Eurasian Event Forum.

At the panel discussion “The Art of the Sale: How to Win Clients on the Venue Market,” which took place at the 5th Eurasian Event Forum, ExpoForum International’s Deputy General Director for Commercial Affairs Elena Ublieva delivered a speech entitled “Rapid-Growth Strategy: Secrets to Success.”

The panel discussion “Organiser, Industry Partner, Exhibitor and Visitor: Closed Circuit or Mutually-Advantageous Partnership?,” which took place on the first day of the Eurasian Event Forum, featured remarks by Sergey Voronkov, General Director of ExpoForum International.

The administration of St. Petersburg Residential Home for Children with Developmental Delays ¹ 4 sent the company a letter of appreciation for the assistance it rendered to the institution’s young wards.

On 28 December, at a meeting of the St. Petersburg Industrial Council held at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex, St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko and Chairman of the Committee on Industry and Innovation Maxim Meyksin summarized the results of the work conducted by the Import-Substitution and Localisation Centre over the three-and-a-half months since its opening. In that time, the venue has been visited by more than 15,000 specialists, with over 400 industrial enterprises presenting stands and roughly 50 contracts signed.

On 3-10 January, St. Petersburg will be the scene of the thematic festival “New Year’s Ethnofest,” where guests will be invited to acquaint themselves with the culture, customs and traditions of the peoples of the world.

On 22 December, Lenexpo Exhibition Complex hosted the opening of the 13th St. Petersburg SME Forum and St. Petersburg Small-Business Exhibition. On hand to showcase their capabilities were more than 200 manufacturing companies, as well as SME support-infrastructure enterprises.

On 9-10 December, the 6th Russian-Chinese Forum “Doing Business with China: Wholesaling” was held at Lenexpo. It’s the largest platform for the discussion of Russian-Chinese business issues in the Russian Northwest, gathering together more than 2,500 people every year.

On 7-9 December, St. Petersburg is welcoming the 5th International Forum “Arctic: Today and the Future.” The main Arctic event of the year has gathered together more than 1,300 delegates from Russia and abroad, including representatives of the concerned ministries and departments, RF constituent entity executive bodies, state corporations, strategic companies, and the leading scientific organisations and educational institutions.

On 2 December, Smolny was the scene of a meeting of the Organising Committee responsible for preparing St. Petersburg to host the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. The meeting was attended by St. Petersburg Vice Governor Vladimir Kirillov, the heads of St. Petersburg’s concerned executive bodies, representatives of the Russian Hockey Federation and the event’s operator in St. Petersburg – ExpoForum International.

Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre ushered in the 4th International Conference “Real Estate Management in Corporations – REMIC 2015,” which gathered together more than 350 participants to discuss pressing issues of land-and-property management.

On 20 November, EF-Design, the General Developer of exhibition stands at Lenexpo and ExpoForum, joined the world’s largest specialised network of exhibition-stand developers – Octanorm Service Partner International (OSPI).

On 21-22 November, ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre will host a grand festival for pet-lovers of all stripes – “Zoo Show.” Visitors can expect encounters with thousands of different pets, expert consultations, fun contests and competitions, “dog dances,” and much more.

“Zoosphere,” Eastern Europe’s largest international exhibition of goods and services for household pets, gathered together at a venue spanning some 13,000 sq. metres roughly 200 of the industry’s leading companies from Russia, China, Brazil, Italy, Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland.

On 9–10 December, Lenexpo will host the 6th Russian-Chinese Forum “Business with China: Wholesale Trade” – the leading platform for the discussion of Russian-Chinese business issues, gathering together more than 2,500 people every year.

The City on the Neva has witnessed the opening of its most artistic exhibition – ArtExpoSPb-2015. The event brought together more than 100 artists, sculptors, designers, photographers and jewellers – as well as galleries and salons from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Italy, Germany, France, Denmark and other countries.

At the 82nd congress of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in Milan, the Vice President of ExpoForum International and President of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs (RUEF) – Sergey Alexeev, was inaugurated as the new UFI president.

On 10-12 November, ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre was the meeting place for more than 150 companies from 8 countries, coming together to showcase the latest innovations in security systems at the 24th International Exhibition of Security and Fire-Protection Equipment and Products – Sfitex/Securika.

On 10-12 November, the Import Substitution and Localisation Centre will host the 10th theme-week “Import Substitution in the Gas Industry,” organised by Gazprom and the Directorate of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum.

From 30 October to 1 November, Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted Russia’s largest exhibition for home-buyers – the “Real Estate Fair” was attended by more than 30,000 St. Petersburg residents.

On 30 October, in the ongoing celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Second World War, the Chinese Business Centre hosted the opening of a photographic exhibition devoted to wartime operations in the City of Shanghai, showcasing more than 100 archival photos, as well as clippings from contemporary Chinese, Soviet and foreign newspapers and books of the time.

On 15 October, an agreement was struck at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre between ExpoForum International and the St. Petersburg Technopark against the backdrop of the St. Petersburg International Health Forum (SPIHF). The document was signed, respectively, by the General Director of ExpoForum International – Sergey Voronkov, and the General Director of the St. Petersburg Technopark – Andrey Sokolov.

On 14 October, the leading exhibition of advertising technologies in the Russian Northwest – “Advertising. Information. Design. Formatting” (RIDO) – opened at ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre. Within the scope of the business programme, the mayors of 11 Russian cities will discuss outdoor advertising and the festive styling of St. Petersburg in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

For three days, St. Petersburg transforms into the capital of the healthy-lifestyle industry: the 3rdSt. Petersburg International Health Forum gathered together the heads of the leading companies in the fields of pharmacology and biotechnology, medical-equipment production and wellness tourism from 12 world countries. Showcasing their goods and services at the event were roughly 100 companies from the Russian regions and abroad.

On 14 October, “Step towards My Profession!” competitions got underway in St. Petersburg among local vocational school students. Over the course of three days, more than 300 students from 58 different professional-education institutions and six Russian regions will showcase various occupational pursuits, take part in master classes and undergo professional testing.

On 6 October, ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre was the scene of an official guided tour of the exposition at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum, bringing together more than 300 exhibits and three sector-specific projects. The delegation was headed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom Viktor Zubkov and Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller.

Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre has just kicked off the 5th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum – an annual event that brings together the leaders of the gas industry. This year, the form will feature 35 conferences and roundtables on “blue-fuel” and be attended by more than 2,500 industry specialists from 29 world countries.

From 28 September to 1 October, Lenexpo is hosting the annual international professional forum and exhibition of the movie-and-entertainment industry – “Kino Expo,” bringing together the sector’s leading players from Russia, the CIS and the Baltics.

On 24-27 September, ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre was the scene of the Royal Auto Show – an assembly of more than 150 exclusive super-cars, rare, manually-assembled motorcycles, muscle-cars and classic legends, as well as competitions among drifters, interactive installations – and a beauty pageant.

Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre welcomed the opening of the 13th International Maritime Exhibition and Conference NEVA 2015. The exhibition is being held at two pavilions – F and G – across a space spanning more than 21,000 sq. metres. Participants include over 500 companies and enterprises from more than 34 countries worldwide.

On 18 September, Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted the opening of the 15th Conference of the Russian Urology Society “21st-Century Urology.” Being held for the first time ever with the participation of the European Association of Urology, the event has amassed a delegate count of more than 1,600 area specialists – world-class urologists, department and clinic heads, young specialists and physicians from other practice areas.

15 September saw the opening of the 12th International Conference and Exhibition for the Oil-and-Gas Resource Development of the Russian Arctic and CIS Continental Shelf − RAO/CIS Offshore 2015, this year gathering more than 200 companies, including Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft, Novatek, the Krylov State Research Centre, enterprises forming part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), and many more.

On 10 September, the fourth pavilion at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex witnessed the official opening of the Import-Substitution and Localisation Centre – a communication platform for import-substitution problem-solving. The opening ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the Federation Council of the RF Federation Council – Valentina Matvienko, and St. Petersburg Governor – Georgy Poltavchenko.

On 8 September, the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre saw the opening of the 16th International Specialised Exhibition of Devices and Equipment for Industrial Non-Destructive Testing – Defectoscopy/NDT St. Petersburg, gathering more than 30 sector-specific companies from all across Russia.

The festival of sport held recently at Expoforum gathered together more than 52,000 attendees. As conceived of by the organiser of the “I choose sports!” campaign – the St. Petersburg Committee for Physical Fitness and Sports – the event was intended to give city residents the opportunity to familiarise themselves with different types of activity and choose the right athletic discipline for their children.

On 4 September, the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex held a presentation of the participants of the Import-Substitution and Localisation Centre – sector-specific committees, industrial enterprises and concerned corporations. The site’s official opening ceremony is slated to take place on 10 September, with the participation of St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko.

Representatives of the local authorities and members of the St. Petersburg business community met with the heads of mass media outlets to unveil Russia’s first centre intended to become a launching pad for the practical implementation of import-substitution programmes.

For several days, one of the expo pavilions at Lenexpo was turned into a movie set for the film “Murder for Three,” telling the story of three friends who manage to tackle their personal misfortunes thanks to the power of female friendship.

On 5 September, the Chinese Business Centre, situated in the sixth pavilion at Lenexpo, will host the celebration “Two Countries – One Victory,” dedicated to the end of the Second World War and the total defeat of fascist Japan.

On 28 August, the St. Petersburg Suvorov Military School celebrated its 60th jubilee. A special dress parade of SMS cadets and graduates was held in the courtyard of Vorontsov Palace. The students and instructors of the Suvorov Military School were congratulated by Governor Georgy Poltavchenko and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Vyacheslav Makarov.

Lenexpo hosted a concert “What the Chinese Love” organised by the Chinese Business Centre and the Chinese Society in St. Petersburg. Performers from Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture brought to visitors the culture of different peoples living in the region.

On 5-6 September, the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre will host the Tenth public action “I Choose Sport!,” promising the visitors and the participants a bright sports event involving show programmes of young athletes, sports competitions and championships, interactive areas, master classes and meet-ups with famous athletes.

On 21 August, Lenexpo will host a gala concert “What the Chinese Love” organised by the Chinese Business Centre of St. Petersburg within the framework of cultural exchange with Changji Xinjiang Region of China.

The Convention and Exhibition Centre has kicked off the annual Open Russian National Sport Ballroom Dancing Championships – Happy Dance 2015. More than 500 youngsters from six Russian regions are competing in the cha-cha, tango, rumba, waltz, polka, jive and other musical styles.

The Starcon convention will be held from 31 August through 2 July at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. This is the largest international convention in Russia which attracts enthusiasts interested in pop culture fantasy. Already 1500 cosplayers have signed up (players who dress up as a character) who will represent heroes of movies, multifilms, comics and games.

At the site of the Chinese Business Centre an agreement was signed on 29 July for cooperation between the Shenyang Committee on Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of China and the St. Petersburg Chinese Entrepreneur Union.

The St. Petersburg administration held a meeting on 24 July of the working group on import substitution and localisation under the supervision of Vice-Governor Sergei Movchan. The primary work trends for the Centre of Import Substitution and Localisation were discussed.

On 9 July, Lenexpo put on a presentation of the Chinese Business Centre for a delegation from Anhui Province, China. The delegation included representatives of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for Anhui Province, while the Russian side was represented by members of the Public Chamber of St. Petersburg and the Chinese Association of St. Petersburg.

On 1 July, one of the country’s largest exhibitions of naval equipment and armaments opened for the sixth time at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. Spanning an area of some 17,000 sq. metres, military products and services were showcased by more than 400 Russian enterprises and companies. The show was attended by 40 delegations from 27 countries from around the world.

On 1 July, the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex hosted a presentation of the Chinese Business Centre for more than 20 delegates from China. The delegation included representatives of the State Committee for Chinese Diaspora Affairs, as well as businesspeople from Beijing and the provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong and Shanxi.

On 28-29 June, Petersburgers and visitors to the city had the chance to learn more about the traditions of the peoples of the Russian North, South, East and West. Guests were treated to performances by dance and vocal folk ensembles, game areas, and master classes.

On 19 June, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was the scene of a meeting between members of the Russian and Chinese business communities, at which ExpoForum International and the Chinese Association of St. Petersburg discussed the work of the recently opened Chinese Business Centre.

Russia’s largest event in the field of business and economics has gotten underway at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. This year, the forum is gathering more than 7,000 attendees from 115 countries around the world, with more than 2,000 journalists covering the event.

Lenexpo was the scene of large-scale exercises by the services tasked with ensuring water safety. The waters of the Gulf of Finland were the backdrop for the spectacular drill, which featured the participation of a helicopter, fireboat, professional stuntmen and pyrotechnic specialists.

The event, devoted to the work of the customs services, is being held at ExpoForum on 3-4 June and features the participation of more than 40 companies and organisations from Russia, Estonia, Finland and Latvia. The exhibition showcases customs, logistics and transport-forwarding services, as well as technological innovations, such as a device that uses a laser to detect banned substances.

On 4 June, the latest film by Alexei German Jr., Under Electric Skies, is slated for release. The picture was featured in the main competition programme at the 65th Berlin Film Festival and garnered a Silver Bear for outstanding achievement in the cinematic arts. Filming took place in the fall and winter of 2013 on ExpoForum grounds and in the vicinity of the exhibition complex – on the hills of Pulkovo Heights.

An exciting new St. Petersburg-based project for pet-lovers, Zoo Show, offers the capital audience a business programme featuring the participation of leading industry experts, a wide array of goods and services, and traditional breeder shows and competitions showcasing 3,000 domesticated animals.

On the 8,000 sq. metre grounds of Lenexpo Exhibition Complex, more than 50 companies took part in the XIX Baltic Sea Festival to showcase some 80 yachts and cutters, as well as specialised equipment and materials for yachtsmen, athletes, fishermen, and water-recreation enthusiasts.

Expoforum has witnessed the start of a specialised convention-and-exhibition devoted to technologies for the processing of powder and granular substances – Solids Russia, gathering more than 60 of the industry’s leading companies from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden and Holland.

Taking part in the I St. Petersburg Innovative Passenger-Transport Forum are more than 70 companies and 700 industry specialists from 10 Russian regions, as well as from Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Estonia, Finland, Taiwan, Poland, Belarus, Serbia and Spain.

On 21 May, Lenexpo Exhibition Complex was the scene of a specialised conference on Internet marketing – “RIDO 2.0 Reloaded.” Speakers included industry experts from Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the event was attended by roughly 300 people.

Expoforum was the scene of the opening of the Hipposphere Equestrian Exhibition – the largest such specialised event in the Russian Northwest, including a business programme for specialists and a dazzling show for city residents and visitors alike. The exhibition is attended by more than 17,000 people every year.

Roughly 200 companies, including the producers and suppliers of equipment and services for the energy industry, are taking part in the III Russian International Energy Forum and XXII International Specialised Exhibition “Energy and Electrical Engineering,” attended by some 9,000 people every year.

On 14-15 May, conference events at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex will feature the participation of more than 200 specialists – representatives of major St. Petersburg-based business structures, concerned ministries and departments, and industrial enterprises.

On 29 April, some 1,000 invited guests – veterans of the Great Patriotic (Second World) War, blockade survivors, homefront workers and wartime children from St. Petersburg – took part in celebrations marking the 70th Anniversary of Victory.

The 30th Real Estate Fair opened at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 400 real estate market players of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region demonstrate their professional abilities on an area of 11,000 sq. metres.

About 300 heads of organisations and enterprises of agribusiness and fisheries industry of the Leningrad Region participated in the meeting on the industry results of 2014 and plans for the current year.

More than 150 companies presented their products and services for children and families with children as part of the XIV International Exhibition Childhood Planet. More than 12 thousand visitors attend the event annually.

On March 18, at the ‘Ecology of Big City’ International Forum and the ‘Housing and Utilities in Russia’ exhibition a presentation of the Import Substitution Centre being one of the key projects of ExpoForum-International aimed at promoting Russian manufacturers and the formation of new market niches took place.

Russia’s largest project aimed at developing the market of goods and services for the elderly this year is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The anniversary forum is attended by representatives of 36 regions of Russia, more than two thousand experts and around 160 companies which are going to present products from 27 countries.

More than 100 companies from 10 countries, including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Austria, China and the United States, presented their products and services at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre on an area of 6,000 sq. meters. In addition, a presentation of the Import Substitution Centre was held.

The interactive panorama ‘Fight for Berlin. Feat of Standard-bearers’ which opened in St. Petersburg is dedicated to the revival of the memory of the Great Patriotic War and is one of the highlights of the celebration of the 70-year anniversary of the Victory.

The Chinese Business Centre will be fully operational in July 2015; it will become a permanent exhibition of products and services of Russian and Chinese companies, as well as a platform for business and cultural events.

On March 7, the II Festival of Chinese Culture called the Spring Festival will open at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. This event will complete the Chinese New Year celebrations and mark the beginning of Yuan Xiaojie (in Chinese), the Spring Festival.

On February 19th, more than 80 representatives of Italian trade unions, associations, exhibition companies and large industrial corporations gathered in the Milan office of the Department of Trade Exchange Development of the Italian Republic (ICE) to attend a presentation by the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre and the ExpoForum International company.

ExpoForum-International is taking part in the preparations for the sixth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The Conference will be held at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex in November 2015.

ExpoForum facilities were shown in an episode of a movie by Alexei German Jr. at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival held on 5-15 February. The movie was selected to participate in the main competition and won the Silver Bear for Best Cinematography.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation has estimated that by 2020 the import substitution policy should reduce import dependence in different branches from 70-90% to 50-60%, and congress and exhibition activities are one of the key instruments for the implementation of this programme as the shortest path to the promotion of national products.

The Chinese Spring Festival will be the first event to be held at the new Russian-Chinese Business Centre. The festival will be inspired by the Lantern Festival that marks the end of the New Year celebration in China.

Locals and visitors to the city on the Neva will be the first in the world to see multimedia versions of paintings by the great Impressionists as part of the exhibition ‘Monet to Cézanne – The French Impressionists’ at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

More than 1,500 companies, including such leaders in their market sectors as Yulmart, Sportmaster, Centro, Lamoda, and X5 Retail Group, are to attend the 4th Russia–China forum, Business with China, with a view to strengthening and developing international relationships.

On 7 November, the 29th International Real Estate Trade Fair opened at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre, and was attended by over 350 players from the St Petersburg and Leningrad Region real estate market.

Around 10,000 juvenile Baltic whitefish have been released into the Gulf of Finland as part of a series of remedial measures being taken to counteract the damage caused to aquatic bioresources and their environment.

At the St Petersburg Suvorov Military School, an institution run by the Russian Ministry of Defence, the festival and competition ‘The Heroic Journey: Making Dreams Come True’ has opened. ExpoForum International helped to organise the event.

On 28 October, PAP-FOR 2014, the largest pulp and paper exhibition in Eastern Europe, opened at the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, with new products, innovative ideas and modern technology presented by more than 260 companies from 26 countries.

As part of its charitable activities, ExpoForum International recently helped to organise a concert in honour of the 318th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Navy and the Day of the Ship’s Captain.

The specialist Advertising. Publicity. Information. Design (APID) exhibition, which opened at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre on 15 October, is an effective communications platform for representatives of the advertising industry, helping to develop business.

The 4th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum – one of the most important industry-specific events in Russia – has kicked off with the Blue Corridor Natural Gas Vehicle Rally, in which a convoy of factory-supplied vehicles running on natural gas follow a route of some 3,000 kilometres across 15 countries.

On 25 September, a special exhibition opened at Lenexpo as part of the 5th Road Safety for the Safety of Life international congress. Over 80 Russian and international companies presented cutting edge developments in the field of road safety.

Around 350 students from 55 vocational educational institutions assembled in a venue measuring over 10,000 square metres to demonstrate their knowledge in the subjects that will form the basis of their chosen careers.

The Agrorus exhibition and trade fair, opening today at Lenexpo, has for more than 20 years been the largest arena for the discussion of issues affecting Russia’s agricultural sector. The event is also notable for the number of contracts signed, stimulating a flow of capital into the industry.

From 16 to 19 July the inspection commission for the World Energy Council (WEC) came to Russia to assess the country’s bid to host the 24th World Energy Congress as well as the annual WEC Executive Assembly in St Petersburg in 2019.

Acting Governor of St.Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko has signed a directive on the establishment of a state-assisted Convention and Exhibition Bureau, which will help to attract major convention and exhibition events to the city.

On 4 July a ceremony took place at the site of the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in which new crosses were consecrated and affixed to the cupolas of the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God.

On 19th June 2014 Viktor Olersky, Deputy Minister of Transport, addressed the global Ports and Shipping community with a warm welcome to TRANSTEC 2014, citing the event as a key international B2B forum to ensure the success of the Ministry’s “Strategy for the Development of Sea Port Infrastructure of Russia Until 2030”.

Sergey Alexeev, Vice President of ExpoForum International and President of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs (RUEF), has been appointed President of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) for the period 2015 to 2016, at the UFI 2014 Open Seminar, which began at Lenexpo on 30 June.

Contracts worth a combined total of more than RUB 700 million were agreed by companies which sent representatives to the Russian Industrialist forum and the exhibitors who presented their goods and services at the event.

The important role played by conventions and exhibitions in helping to develop skills and encourage innovative industrial growth in the regions was the main focus of a presentation by ExpoForum International at the 8th International Forum of the Exhibition Industry, 5pEXPO-2014, held from 4–6 June in Moscow.

On 22 May, Lenexpo Exhibition Complex opened its doors to the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Around 6,500 participants from 72 countries have come together for the event, including the heads of 146 major international companies and 450 leading Russian firms.

The social and economic development strategy for St Petersburg for the period to 2030, approved yesterday by the city’s government, envisages increasing tourist numbers by 70% to 10 million a year, through further development of the tourism industry.

The new convention and exhibition centre may not be due to open until October, but ExpoForum is fast gaining a reputation as a venue for significant events, and is now playing a role in the making of a feature film about a country in which the past, the present and the future have come together in endlessly paradoxical ways.

On 9 April 2014 the Strategic Agreement for TRANSTEC International Conferences and Exhibitions was signed to continue the promotion of the development of Russian Ports and Shipping through 2018. TRANSTEC will be held in cooperation with the NEVA Exhibitions in accordance with the Decree of the Russian Federation Government ¹1910-R signed 21 October 2013.

The European exhibition operator easyFairs is set to launch a new international project in St. Petersburg: Solids Russia 2015, which focuses on technologies used in the processing, storage and transportation of bulk materials.

For 10 years, the ‘Housing and Utilities in Russia’ event has been a key platform for the resolution of the industry’s problems. This year, specialists will focus on developing a programme for the major refurbishment of apartment blocks.

Messe Düsseldorf, the world's largest organiser of specialised international exhibitions, has expressed confidence in the success of the events the company is planning to hold at the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

On 24 January, an agreement was signed between ExpoForum International and RESTEC concerning the terms for organising and holding exhibitions at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2014–2018.

The General Meeting of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs has highlighted the need to audit exhibition statistics in order to increase the effectiveness of industry-specific exhibitions as marketing tools.

Youth initiatives, innovative learning methods, different formats to build productive dialogue and exchanging experience were the subjects of presentations held at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex as part of the first ‘YEKC: Youth, Education, Knowledge, City’ youth festival.

The Russian exhibition market's key areas for growth and opportunities to enter the world stage will be the subject of discussion at the 80th Congress of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in Seoul.

Opening the first International Auto Transport Forum on 24 October, Alexander Prokhorenko, Chairman of the St Petersburg Committee for External Relations, named St Petersburg as the centre of the Russian car manufacturing industry.

The Lenexpo Exhibition Complex has once again become a focal point for the world’s sporting elite: over the next few days it is hosting the Martial Arts and Combat Sports in the Modern World exhibition for the first time ever.

By all accounts, St Petersburg is the tourism Mecca of Russia. This makes it an important destination for industry professionals, who meet here to decide topical issues. The INWETEX exhibition is an ideal platform for this.

NEVA 2013, one of the largest exhibitions in the world to showcase civil shipbuilding and water transport, has opened at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. This year, more than 650 companies from 30 countries are presenting their work and technologies in St Petersburg.

At the press conference dedicated to the opening of the Kino Expo International Convention and Trade Fair, the present and future of the film industry in St Petersburg was discussed, along with Kino Expo’s move to the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2014.

The government officials, farming experts, and agricultural producers who took part in the Agrorus Exhibition and Trade Fair all came to the same optimistic conclusion: even under the conditions imposed by Russia’s membership of the WTO, Russian agriculture and its associated industries have the capacity to operate and thrive.

St Petersburg is Russia’s cultural capital – and now it has been temporarily transformed into the agricultural capital as well, bringing together participants from 53 regions of Russia and 17 countries at the Agrorus 2013 Exhibition and Trade Fair.

Eighty experts from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, Poland, Russia and other countries gathered together for the first time in St Petersburg to discuss the future of the global convention industry. The summer session of the Central European Chapter of the ICCA, the leading international congress and convention association, began today at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

Commemorated on 10 August, the Day of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God saw the consecration and bell-raising ceremony at a church specially restored in the icon’s honour at the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

In the first half of 2013, profits from the company’s congress and exhibition activities almost quintupled, and the profitability index increased 10% in comparison with the same period in 2012. In addition, the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex reached 34% operational capacity, exceeding last year’s levels by 4%.

Representatives of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, visited St. Petersburg in preparation for their upcoming open seminars, which are to be held in the city for the first time in the summer of 2014.

On 22 June 2013, Lenexpo Exhibition Complex hosted the Russia-ASEAN Business Forum, aimed at developing trade and economic relations between Russia and countries in the Asia-Pacific region. ExpoForum International was the official organiser of the event.

At a press conference ahead of the Russia-ASEAN Business Forum, Indonesian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Djauhari Oratmangun expressed his belief that the Forum will help to strengthen relations between Russia and the ASEAN nations. The Forum will take place on 22 June 2013 at St. Petersburg’s Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

Although the market for industry exhibitions in Russia is primarily concentrated in Moscow, the capital could face serious competition from St Petersburg in 2014 with the opening of the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Professional conference organisers and representatives of various congress and exhibition centres and convention bureaux from major European cities will meet in St. Petersburg from 22 to 24 August 2013.

From June 6–8, ExpoForum will participate in the 7th International Forum of the Exhibition Industry, 5pEXPO, in Moscow. Visitors will have the chance to learn about the potential of the future convention and exhibition centre ExpoForum, and find out about major upcoming exhibitions.

Arabia-Expo and the 11th Russian-Arab Business Council will open at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex on 30 May. This will be the first time that St. Petersburg has hosted these events, which play a significant role in strengthening Russian-Arab relations.

On 28 May 2013, the SportAccord International Convention was officially opened at Lenexpo On 28 May 2013, the SportAccord International Convention was officially opened at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. St. Petersburg became the first Russian city to host representatives of Olympic committees and international sporting federations as they discuss global questions regarding the development of world sport.

On 28 May 2013, the SportAccord International Convention officially opened its doors at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex, with over 80 participating organisations including sports industry representatives, host cities, and committees involved in planning and holding high-level international competitions.

The SportAccord International Convention is taking place from 26–31 May 2013 at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex. Experts speculate that the international sports summit, being held in Russia for the first time this year, will provide a significant boost to the St. Petersburg economy.

Issues relating to functional landscape design, as well as the reconstruction and preservation of Russia’s plant nurseries, estates and gardens, were the key themes of the City and Flowers International Forum, encompassing a number of events relating to the latest developments in the fields of landscape architecture, floral arrangement and phyto-design.

This was the pronouncement by Yuri Mitiurev, St Petersburg’s Chief Architect, at the opening ceremony of City and Flowers, a forum focused on the landscaping, park infrastructure, and ornamental horticulture industries.

As part of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum, the following specialised industry exhibitions have opened in three pavilions at Lenexpo: ROS-GAS-EXPO, the specialised exhibition of the natural gas industry and technology for gas facilities; InGAS Stream, showcasing innovations in the gas industry; and Russian Gas Supply.

St. Petersburg’s fifteenth Hipposphere International Equestrian Exhibition played host to a discussion of the current situation and the outlook for the equine industry in Russia. The exhibition was also a key event designed to support children's equestrian sport in the northwest of Russia.

On 21–23 May, ExpoForum will be participating in the IMEX international exhibition in Frankfurt-am-Main. The leading exhibition operator in Northwest Russia will be demonstrating the opportunities available for organising conventions, exhibitions, forums, and other events in St. Petersburg.

In 2013, Russia’s largest boat show, the Baltic Marine Festival, is changing venues: this year’s exhibition will take place at the Krestovsky Yacht Club. The sporting events will be held at the St. Petersburg Trade Unions’ River Yacht Club.

OAO OGK-2 and Siemens Gas Turbine Technologies signed a contract at the Energetika & Elektrotechnika International Exhibition for the long-term maintenance of the PGU-800 equipment at Kirishi State Regional Power Station – the largest combined cycle power plant in Russia.

ExpoForum will be taking part in the Russian-Swedish Modern Exhibition Technology and Software Convention, which is to be held in Stockholm from 10–11 April 2013. Participants will discuss current issues and key trends in the development of the exhibition sector.

On 28 March, Galina Kolosova, Vice-Chair of the St. Petersburg Social Policy Committee, announced at the opening of the Childhood Planet 2013 exhibition of goods and services for children and families that the demographic situation in St. Petersburg was changing for the better.

Specialists in the social and medical fields, well-known academics, politicians, company leaders, and representatives of voluntary organisations met at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex to discuss the issues facing the older generation.

The foundations of a new model for the domestic food market were laid on 21–22 March at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex during the first Russian National Farming Cooperative Congress, which was attended by 904 delegates and 162 guests from 80 Russian regions.

Cutting-edge equipment and services used to address environmental protection tasks and ensure ecological safety were presented at an exposition covering more than 6,000 square metres as part of the XIII Ecology of the Big City international forum. The importance of the event in the industry was confirmed by the attendance of 2,500 specialists.

The 2013 Energetika & Elektrotechnika exhibition will, for the first time, feature a number of international companies, including Kon?ar (Croatia), StarPower (Italy), Sahra Kablo (Turkey), Doha Cables (Qatar), and Pentair (Germany).

On the 26th of February, a number of issues were discussed at a meeting of St Petersburg’s leading exhibition operators. These included matters concerning transport access to the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, how to divide pavilions into zones for small-scale events, and rental policy.

Representatives from more than 120 companies took part in the first in a number of seminars offering a unique training programme for exhibitors. Participants were provided with practical recommendations for all stages in the exhibition process: from planning budgets to processing new contacts.

In 2013, the Agrorus International Agricultural Exhibition and Trade Fair will be held in two stages. As well as the traditional end-of-summer event, part of the programme will be dedicated to rural cooperatives from all Russia’s regions.

On 20 February a seminar will be held at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex entitled ‘Increasing the Effectiveness of Exhibition Participation’. This is the first event in an educational programme for exhibitors developed by ExpoForum, which aims to help participants prepare for exhibitions effectively.

For the first time ever in St. Petersburg, the City and Flowers International Forum for the Landscape Industry, Floristry, Plants, and Technologies will take place on 23–26 March, with the support of the St. Petersburg Government.

Plans to host an exhibition entitled ‘Foodstuffs: the SCO Brand’ in St. Petersburg have been added to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Business Council’s (SCO BC) programme of events for September 2013. This decision was taken during an SCO BC Secretariat session in Beijing, following a presentation by leading Russian exhibition organiser ExpoForum. The company will organise the event under the aegis of the SCO BC.

The Neva International Exhibition and Conference, which will take place from 24-27 September 2013 at the Lenexpo Exhibition Centre, has been included in the list of events under the auspices of the Marine Board of the Government of the Russian Federation.

A series of business meetings organised by ExpoForum in China between 17–21 January have resulted in a number of agreements designed to encourage Chinese companies to participate in Russian exhibitions.

ExpoForum has very quickly become the largest exhibition organiser in the region with a 42% market share, the operator of the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex, and the developer for the construction of the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

ExpoForum’s new facility is attracting major new projects to St. Petersburg, according to Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions’ Russian representative office Gregory Zaraisky, at the signing of an agreement finalising the terms for organising and running the PAP-FOR Russia exhibition at a new venue – the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

On 20 February 2013 ExpoForum will launch a new project for exhibitors: special educational seminars which will help exhibition participants to intelligently prepare for events and assess their impact.

The Governor of St. Petersburg, Georgy Poltavchenko, told the 10th Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum that the city would support businesses that produced high-tech goods and created ultra-modern jobs with decent salaries.

The new-format ExpoPetersburg exhibition and convention was a resounding success: participants expressed their appreciation for the project, which enabled them to communicate in a common language, and without intermediaries.

On 12 December 2012, a roundtable on the subject of New Opportunities for Developing Small Business Through Clustering. Co-operation in Manufacturing, will be held at the Lenexpo exhibition complex (pavilion 7, hall 7.2), as part of the Forum for Small and Medium Enterprises.

The Arab business community is actively seeking opportunities in North-West Russia, according to Vladislav Lutsenko, Deputy Director of the Russian-Arab Business Council (RABC) and Director General of the Arabia Expo exhibition. An agreement to hold the exhibition in St Petersburg for the first time in its history was signed today at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

ExpoForum has launched a project under its range of community engagement programmes to help young residents of St Petersburg learn about different career opportunities. A series of tours that will introduce school children to the world of exhibitions will begin on 2 November.

From 25–27 October 2012, St Petersburg will host an exhibition of creative works by pupils from Russian Ministry of Defence secondary schools, in honour of the 70th anniversary of the Suvorov movement in Russia.

In the run-up to the New Year celebrations, leading players in the St. Petersburg events industry gathered together for a breakfast meeting to learn about the new package deal on corporate events at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

Biotechnology is a foundation for the innovative development of the Russian economy. Such is the opinion of the speakers at the opening ceremony of Bioindustry 2012 and the Innovative Biotechnology in the Countries of the Eurasian Economic Community international scientific conference, which took place on 11 October at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

On 4 October 2012 a presentation of the Neva 2013 and Transtec 2014 sea and transport congress and exhibition projects took place at Lenexpo as part of the Transtec 2012 International Exhibition and Conference for the Development of Ports and the Shipping Industry.

From 2 to 4 October, Transtec 2012 will present the potential of Russia’s ports and its transport and logistics system on the international stage, as well as showcase the achievements of national science and industry. Experts in the field of river and sea navigation from Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and other countries will meet at the exhibition.

Governor of St Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko spoke about this increase in investments at the opening ceremony of the XVI ‘Russian Industrialist’ International Forum and the St Petersburg International Innovation Forum.

On 30 August 2012, Orchardist Day was held at the XXI Agrorus International Exhibition and Trade Fair. Andrei Lyakh, Head of the Department for the Development of Gardening in St Petersburg, was present at the opening ceremony.

On 28 August 2012, a round table entitled ‘Problems and Solutions in Veterinary Care for Agricultural Enterprises’ was held at the XXI Agrorus International Exhibition and Trade Fair. The meeting discussed veterinary services for animal husbandry and aviculture in Russia’s northwest.

On 28 August, the XXI Agrorus International Agricultural Exhibition and Trade Fair hosted a conference entitled ‘Energy Efficiency in Agriculture: Innovative Development’. The conference focused on ways of reducing energy consumption, as well as on the legal and regulatory framework surrounding energy conservation.

This was the conclusion reached by experts who gathered at the Rural Youth and Society Today conference held on 27 August 2012 as part of the XXI Agrorus International Agricultural Exhibition and Trade Fair. The meeting focused on the quality of education available to young people in rural areas, and on efforts to attract young professionals to work in the countryside.

The 21st Agrorus International Agricultural Exhibition and Trade Fair will be held at Lenexpo from 27 August to 2 September. One of the biggest exhibitions in Russia, according to established tradition the event will include displays, indoor and outdoor trade stands, a wide-ranging business programme and a lively entertainment programme.

An interactive display entitled ‘St Petersburg – Marine Capital of Russia’, commissioned by the Government of St Petersburg and organised by ExpoForum, was featured at the EXPO-2012 World Specialized Exhibition in the South Korean city of Yeosu.

June 22, 2012 the chairperson of the Board of Directors at ZAO ExpoForum Natalia Konovalenko and the chairperson of the Board of Directors at Messe D?sseldorf GmbH Werner M. Dornscheidt in the presence of the vice-governor of St. Petersburg Olga Kazanskaya signed an agreement on the cooperation in the development of congress and exhibition projects in St. Petersburg.

June 22, 2012 the companies Messe Duesseldorf GmbH and ZAO ExpoForum will sign a general agreement on the cooperation in the development of the congress and exhibition projects in St. Petersburg. More than 20 projects of Messe Duesseldorf GmbH have the status of industry-leading exhibitions in the world. Therefore the appearance in the St. Petersburg market of such a large and influential organiser is a strategically important event for the economic development of the city.

From May 26th to May 31st, 2013 the XI SportAccord International Convention will take place in Russia. Exhibition Complex Lenexpo in St. Petersburg is chosen as the venue. The corresponding agreement has already been signed between the Government of St Petersburg and Directorate of SportAccord.

The project of the Russian international energy forum, which was presented on June, the 8th in Moscow in Expocentre, attracted the attention of specialists of the energy sector. One of the first assessments of the company's plans was given by Mikhail Pavlov, the head of the working group of energy efficiency at International Sustainable Energy Development Centre under the auspices of UNESCO.

This was stated by the executive director of ExpoForum Sergey Voronkov at the IV all-Russian Conference ‘Exhibition and trade fair activities: regional priorities’. The event was held on June the 6th at the VI International Forum of the exhibition industry 5pEXPO’2012.

Reporting at the roundtable conference on training and developing of skills of the professionals in the oil and gas industry, the Sales Director of St. Petersburg branch of the recruitment portal hh.ru Olga Anokhina dispelled the myth of an excess of candidates in this field. The roundtable was held in the framework of the business programme of St. Petersburg International Gas Forum taking place from June, 4 to June, 6 in Lenexpo.

On June the 7th in the framework of the VI International Forum of the Exhibition Industry 5pEXPO`2012 there was a presentation of one of the largest exhibition project of ExpoForum JSC - XXI International exhibition of products and services for pets “Zoosphere”.

On June the 6th the official opening ceremony of the VI International Forum of Exhibition Industry ‘5pEXPO’ took place in the Central Exhibition Complex Expocentre in Moscow. The forum will last till June the 9th.

The leading experts of the Russian and foreign gas industry gathered on July 4th in Lenexpo to discuss the topical issues of the world gas sector development and exchange their opinions on prospects of the most significant investment projects.

This forecast was announced by the President of Non-Profit Partnership "Gas club" Yury Shenyavsky who spoke on June the 5th at the round table ‘International cooperation in the oil industry’ within the I International Congress of Oil and Gas industry specialists in the framework of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum.

On May 28 ExpoForum and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the RF signed a state contract, under which the company will organise a booth representing Russian industrial achievements, at the International exhibition of industrial production equipment and materials "Manufacturing Indonesia 2012". This South Asia's largest industrial exhibition will be held on December 5-8, 2012 in Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

ExpoForum, Russian Geographical Society, and the Administration of Vasileostrovskii district had environmental campaign to clean up the bottom of the Gulf of Finland, during which there was discovered about 40 cubic meters of debris. Among the unusual things, there were discovered: Iphone, elements of porthole metal protection, two anchors 80-year-old and fragments of an antique dinner service.

May, 31 in Lenexpo, there was open the Baltic Marine Festival which has became not only a meeting place for professionals of the maritime industry, but also a bright holiday for all the citizens and tourists. The first event of the festival was the parade of yachts and boats which was attended by the representatives of the major media of St. Petersburg.

June 2 ExpoForum with the support of the Administration of Vasileostrovsky district, the Russian Geographical Society and the city diving clubs, organises an ecological action, timed to coincide with International Day for Biological Diversity.

The above solution of the problem of the upcoming lack of qualified personnel in the energy industry in Russia was offered by the participants of the conference “Personnel for Energy Efficient Economy” held as part of the “Energetika&electrotechnika” exhibition in Lenexpo on May 23.

TRANSTEC’2012, an international transport exhibition, and the III International Conference on Port and Shipping Development were included in the event schedule of the Marine Board under the RF Government and the exhibition plan of the Russian Ministry of Transport for 2012. Both the exhibition and the conference will take place in Lenexpo on October 2-4, 2012. The organisers are Transtec Neva Exhibitions, which is 30% owned by ExpoForum, and East West Exhibition Management ltd/Dolphin Exhibitions ltd.

On May 23, ExpoForum officially announced the launch of its new congress and exhibition project – “Russian International Energy Forum”. The first forum shall take place already in 2013 at Lenexpro and unite the leading industry events held in Saint Petersburg in its structure.

One of the largest showing in the Northwest – XIX international specialized exhibition “Energetika&electrotechnika” – has opened on May 23 in the “Lenexpo” and aroused the great interest of the Russian and foreign companies.

ExpoForum together with the Government of Saint Petersburg became the organizer of an interactive exposition as well as a business and cultural program of the Northern Capital of Russia within the scope of the EXPO-2012 World Exhibition in the South Korean city of Yeosu. The exhibition was opened on May 12 and will last for three months. The exposition "St. Petersburg as the Russian Sea Capital" will be presented on June 27 to 30.

The XV International specialized exhibition for welding, cutting, and related technologies “Welding” was opened on May 15 in Lenexpo; it has already become one of the largest industrial projects of Russia, CIS and the Baltic states over the years of its existence. Organizer: ExpoForum JSC.

In April 2012, Gazprom has become the strategic partner of the Kino Expo, one of the world largest cinema forums. The cooperation is to assist the development of national film industry and the world market promotion of national cinematography.

About 70 citizens of Pushkin addressed the staff of the archive of the Military Medicine Museum in order to learn the fate of their relatives who had been lost during the Great Patriotic War. The charitable action devoted to the Victory Day was arranged by ExpoForum jointly with the Military Medicine Museum and the administration of Pushkin Region.

ExpoForum together with the administration of the Pushkin district and the Military and Medical Museum will hold a charity event on May 7 and 8. In Pushkin city, there will be opened a temporary public office of the Military and Medical museum archives with some materials of the Great Patriotic War.

A popular web-site for travellers, Tripadvisor has ranked the best tourist destinations of Europe with St. Petersburg in the 15th place in the list. St. Petersburg has appeared to be more attractive than Vienna, Munich and Budapest.

Improvement and planting of the city play an important role in the work of the city administration. Presence of Georgiy Poltavchenko, the Governor of Saint Petersburg, at the opening ceremony of the International Festival of Flowers and Landscape Design confirms this fact. ‘Our city deserves to be well-attended and decorated, in order to make the citizens happy and to energize our guests’ – noted the Governor.

The VII Saint Petersburg International Book Salon started its work in Lenexpo. Within four days the guests of the exhibition can meet with the authors of world best-sellers, buy books without retail mark-up and visit over 250 business and entertaining events.

On April 12 an exhibition of vehicle components, spare parts and equipment for garage and car service centers Automechanika St. Petersburg 2012 was opened at Lenexpo. According to foreign experts, Saint-Petersburg is a place where the greatest potential can be realised by the car market of Russia and Eastern Europe.

The Official Opening Ceremony of the VII International Forum titled “Senior Generation” was conducted on April 12, at Lenexpo exhibition complex. It is the first project in today’s Russia covering the complete range of products and services for the senior people.

The 2d International Festive Decoration. Advertising and Information Forum, a key event in the North-West Region that focuses on outdoor advertising, city decoration and other advertising market segments, has started at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex.

On April 12-14 Lenexpo will host exhibition "Automechanika. St. Petersburg "- the oldest international project in the Northwest region in the area of vehicle components, spare parts and equipment for garage and car service centers. A new stage of the exhibition development - focus on the market professionals - is a result of the first joint effort of ExpoForum and Messe Frankfurt RUS alliance.

On March 16, 2012 the Executive Director of ExpoForum CJSC, General Director of Lenexpo JSC Sergey Voronkov, was a guest of the live radio station "Echo of Moscow in St. Petersburg". The topic of live broadcast was "Future of St. Petersburg: exhibition capital or exhibition province?"

Representatives of ExpoForum visited Russia's largest electric power exhibition and conference Russia Power 2012 and hydropower exhibition HydroVision Russia 2012 held simultaneously and met with their organiser - PennWell Corporation.

On March 16th at 18:20, Sergey Voronkov, Chief Executive Officer of ExpoForum JSC and General Director of LenExpo JSC, will become a guest of “Echo of Moscow in Saint Petersburg” radio station. The topic of live programme is The Future of Saint Petersburg: Exhibition Capital or Exhibition Province?

A new format of the International Forum "Ecology of Big City" attracted special attention of regions of Russia. To date, participation in the forum has been confirmed by over 20 government delegations from Russian cities. It is less than a week before the opening, XII International Forum will be held in St. Petersburg at Lenexpo Exhibition Complex on March 20-23, 2012.

Executive Director of ExpoForum JSC Sergey Voronkov, Head of the New Projects Directorate Olga Shishenina and coordinator of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum project Alexandra Fartusova met with management of Messe D?sseldorf in Germany.

XI International exhibition of educational programs, goods and services ‘The Childhood Planet’ opened on February 29 to make the largest pavilion of the exhibition complex a real holiday for kids and their parents.

The churchmen of the Russian Orthodox Church and the administration of the Children’s City Hospital sent letters of appreciation to JSC ExpoForum for the beneficent assistance rendered by the company in the early 2012.

The Childhood Planet XI international exhibition will be opened on the 29th day of February in Lenexpo. The exhibition will represent the entire range of educational programs, goods and services for children from birth till full age. The exhibition complex will be transformed simultaneously into a huge colorful playground, supermarket with various goods and a forum of the leading children’s specialists for four days. The exhibition organiser is JSC ExpoForum

On February 17, a meeting was held with participation of managment of ExpoForum JSC, representatives of diplomatic corps of Saint-Petersburg and commercial representative offices. This was the closing meeting for series of annual events for the company's partners held in business lunch format. This tradition was established in February of 2012.

On February 15, managing directors of ExpoForum JSC have held meeting with the city public authorities at Lenexpo, in order to discuss informally the future perspectives of development of convention and exhibition market in the city. The second event held for partners of ExpoForum JSC in business lunch format collected representatives of legislative and executive public authorities of St.Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, as well as heads of business associations and communities.

ExpoForum JSC starts a series of annual events for the company’s partners in business lunch format. For a few days in February, public authorities, representatives of business structures and various associations shall attend the meeting with the company’s management, in order to discuss trends in the convention and exhibition market and the strategy of its development. The meetings will take place at Lenexpo.

Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Elena Skrynnik signed a Decree on Fairs and Exhibitions held by Ministry of Agriculture of Russia in 2012. In compliance with the document dated February, 3, Ministry of Agriculture of Russia jointly with ExpoForum JSC acts as a co-organizer of the Fair "Agrorus”, as well as it provides support to three other exhibitions of the company: “Hipposphere”, “Zoosphere” and “Bioindustry”.

At the last assembly of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) which took place from the 1st to the 3rd of February in Istanbul, two exhibitions of ExpoForum JSÑ were assigned the status of “UFI Approved Event”. The recipients were the Baltic Marine Festival, and The Russian Industrialist.

On the 9th of February at the St. Petersburg mediacentre RIA News was held a press conference dedicated to the XII International Forum, Ecology of Big City, which will take place in Lenexpo from the 20th to the 23rd of March, 2012.

At the end of January, as a part of the delegation of St. Petersburg, ExpoForum JSC visited the exhibition Christmas World 2012 in Frankfurt. As the result of the trip, well-known European companies were able to acquaint themselves with the principles of the holiday decoration of St. Petersburg, and expressed the wish to participate in the forum, Festive decoration and city advertising, which will be held at Lenexpo in April 2012.

On the 3rd of February at Lenexpo a business meeting was held, attended by the leaders of ExpoForum JSC, organisers of The Real Estate Fair, partners of the company, and members of the press. The main topic of discussion was the relocation of the largest Russian real estate exhibition to the Lenexpo exhibition complex, and the prospects of the project associated with this event.

On January 24th, the Ministry of science and education of the Russian Federation issued a decree on the organisation of work on information and exhibition activities in the year 2012. According to the order, the XII International Forum "Ecology of Big City", the organiser of which by the end of 2011 became ExpoForum JSC, is included in the list of priority activities that are supported by the Ministry.

From the 1st to the 3rd of February, 2012, in Istanbul passed the UFI Global CEO Forum - a forum of the world's largest companies in the convention and exhibition industry and representatives of government organs, all coordinating convention and exhibition activities in different countries of the world. Broad support for the event was rendered by ExpoForum JSC.

Development of international projects and the attraction of the convention and exhibition market of St. Petersburg to major international organisers is one of the priority directions in the activities of ExpoForum JSC. In January 2012, there have been several events that not only were the impetus for cooperation between companies and countries of Asia, but also in the future could play an important role in fostering cultural and business ties between states.

ExpoForum presented the project, The Baltic Sea Festival, at exhibition of yachts and powerboats Boot 2012 in Dusseldorf from the 21st to the 29th of January 2012. Today, Boot is one of largest international projects in the yacht market, and where seventeen thematic pavilions of the exhibition centre Messe D?sseldorf unfurled into an exposition of more than 1600 participants from 62 countries.

In 2012, the largest exhibition of real estate in Russia will be held at Lenexpo. ExpoForumJSC and Vistavka Ltd have signed an agreement to hold the Real Estate Fair in the only specialised exhibition complex in t.Petersburg.

ExpoForum JSC turned 4 years on January 18, 2012. The company has travelled within the short time the long way, gained high status and continues to implement its mission – to make St. Petersburg one of European convention and exhibition centre.

On December 22, 2011 in Saint Petersburg ExpoForum JSC, TRANSTEC Neva Exhibitions JSC and East West Exhibition Management ltd. (EU) / Dolphin Exhibitions ltd. (UK) made a long-term agreement to jointly hold NEVA international exhibitions and conferences on shipbuilding, navigation, port industry and ocean and continental shelf development, for the period through to 2019. Furthermore, a parallel agreement is being planned in relation to TRANSTEC international transport exhibitions and integrated international conferences on ports development and shipbuilding.

ExpoForum JSC will take part in the EIBTM 2011 exhibition, which will be held from November 29 to December 1 in Barcelona, Spain. The company's stand number will be presented at the joint stand of the Russian Federation (i550).

Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of St. Petersburg took part today in the celebrations dedicated to launching the construction of the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg.

On Oct 11 – 12, ExpoForum JSC together with Gazprom Gas Distribution JSC and the ANT Educational Centre held a seminar titled, ``Documentation Management in the subsidiaries and companies of Gazprom Gas Distribution JSC.

On Oct 10, ExpoForum JSC was announced the winner of an auction held by the Nevsky-Ladozhsky water management company to have the right to make an agreement for usage of the area along the Galerny fairway.

Today ExpoForum moved to its new office on the 14th floor of the Birzha office building on the 26th Line of the Vasilievsky Island. Employees will now have 1300 square meters of space with a panoramic view of the city centre and the Gulf of Finland.

Today, a ceremony was held to lay the foundation stone of the Church of the Smolensk Mother of God Icon. The church will be reconstructed based on drawings and sketches made by the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi who built the original church in Greater Pulkovo village in the 18th century by order of Catherine II. The church, however, was destroyed during World War II.

ExpoForum's general director, Anatoly Erkulov, and the head of the department for business development with Asia, Igor Pozdnyakov, participated in the Fifth Asia-Pacific Economic Convention in Vladivostok.

On 10 August a prayer mass was held on the foundation of the destroyed Church of the Smolensk Mother of God Icon. The mass was held on the icon’s feast day, which coincides with the soon-to-begin construction of a new church.

ExpoForum JSC and Etalon Holding Company signed an agreement for construction of the first structures at St. Peterburg's future convention and exhibition centre. This convention centre will be built according to the highest international standards and will be the city's leading complex for conventions and exhibitions.The contract is worth 14 billion rubles (about ?354 mln).

From July 7 to 9, ExpoForum specialists took part in a study seminar in Gdansk (Poland) organized by the ICCA (International Conventions and Conferences Association) dedicated to research, sales and marketing in the events industry.

The first International Forum of Educational and Scientific Institutions of the Oil and Gas Industry will take place in St. Petersburg in 2012. It will be held during the St. Petersburg Natural Gas Forum that is scheduled for June 7-9, 2012.

At a June 28 meeting, the St. Petersburg City Government approved plans to develop the city's underground transport system, including extending it to reach the Pulkovo airport. This will help resolve transportation issues for the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre that opens in 2013 near the airport.

The city signed over 10 agreements with a total investment of more than 97 billion rubles. They will be invested in St. Petersburg’s economy in the coming years. Governor Valentina Matvienko reported this at the XV International Economic Forum, when summing up its results.

Today, the design project for ExpoForum’s international convention and exhibition centre was sent to the State Expertise Centre. If a positive conclusion is given within 90 days then the company can obtain a permit, and begin construction.

On June 9, ExpoForum organized a business tour at the construction site of the international congress and exhibition centre. The tour was for participants of the conference, ``Managing a city as part of the state's innovation strategy,’’ that was held in St. Petersburg on June 8-10.

On June 7, 2011 the city government adopted a programme to develop St. Petersburg as a tourist centre during the period of 2011-2016. The programme aims to improve tourism’s effectiveness as a part of the urban economy, to develop new tourism activities, and also to improve St. Petersburg’s attractiveness as a major international tourist destination.

From May 31 to June 3 at the Lenexpo exhibition centre the first Petersburg natural gas forum was held with the support of Gazprom. The event coincided with the 200-year celebrations of Russia's natural gas industry, and it attracted the attention of a large number of specialists. Several thousand people from Russia, the CIS, and Europe attended the event. Among them were the CEOs of gas distribution companies, private investors, public authorities, as well as representatives from the sciences.

On June 1 the Committee for exhibition and fairs of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a meeting. The main topic was the need for new laws to regulate the exhibition industry; without them the industry will not grow in 2012, or it might even slide back to the level of several years ago.

On May 31, 2011, St Petersburg’s Natural Gas Forum 2011 began working. ExpoForum, along with Gazprom Natural Gas Distribution, and FarExpo, are the organizers of this event. The Forum intends to unite natural gas industry experts from all over Russia. Exhibition and business programs will focus on the modernization of the industry, field development, production, transportation, processing, and the storage and distribution of gas.

ExpoForum JSC received permission from the St. Petersburg State Service for Construction Supervision and Expertise to drive the first piles in the foundation of the future international convention and exhibition centre.

On May 18 St. Petersburg's Smolny Cathedral concert hall was the scene of a concert by the duet, In-Temporalis. ExpoForum and the St. Petersburg Gas Forum sponsored the event. This marked the launch of In-Temporalis' tour of major Russian cities.

The new concert program of the St. Petersburg duo, In-Temporalis, which performs classical music into a modern interpretation, will be held May 18 at the Smolny Cathedral. This is also the group's start of a grand tour around Russia that will last until the spring of 2012.

ExpoForum experts took part in a business breakfast dedicated to Internet marketing organized by both the Kommersant publishing house in St. Petersburg, as well as by Begun, the leading advertising network in the Russian internet.

On April 14, ExpoForum representatives gave a presentation at a seminar dedicated to helping natural gas distribution companies form a corporate image. The audience included PR specialists from 58 Russian natural gas distribution companies, as well as journalists. ExpoForum is organizing the St Petersburg Natural Gas Forum that will take place on May 31 to June 3 at the Lenexpo exhibition complex.

As a result of ExpoForum's presentation in February, as well as negotiations in March with top officials in China's convention and exhibition industry, the company has been invited to join the China Association of Exhibition Centres, (CAEC).

Russia's Justice Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister will meet with their European Commission colleagues in St. Petersburg on May 19 to discuss the possibility of abolishing travel visas, reported Interfax, citing a source in the Euro Commission.

Research conducted by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels shows that after a two-year decline the number of people visiting St. Petersburg is recovering faster than expected. The significant decline in hotel room prices, which was caused by greater competition, encouraged more tourists to visit the Northern Capital.

The German company, K3 Planungsgeselschaft mbH & Co. KG, completed the concept and zoning system for dining facilities at a 225 room 4-star hotel that will be built on the territory of the future ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Gallup International canvassed St. Petersburg residents, asking them how they think the city should develop. Nearly two-thirds said the city should combine and utilise its opportunities as a tourism and business centre.

This month ExpoForum JSC representatives met with leading Chinese government and business leaders in the framework of a St. Petersburg business and cultural delegation to Beijing, which was organised by the St. Petersburg City Government Committee for External Relations and the Russian Cooperation Federal Agency.

The International Social Media Conference was held on February 14 at the St. Petersburg hotel, Holiday Inn Moscow Gates. Representatives from ExpoForum took part in the discussions which covered topics such as the most effective ways to use social networks, how to monitor them, and their major development trends.

Today, ExpoForum representatives took part in a meeting of the Senator Club that was dedicated to St Petersburg's tourism potential. One of the meeting's results was the decision for business and government to join forces in the framework of a newly created Convention Bureau that will promote the city on the international events market.

Construction of the gas pipeline is part of larger plans to develop the engineering infrastructure on the site of the future ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, construction of which begins later this year.

Northern Capital Gateway Ltd announced the general contractor to build the first stage of the development of Pulkovo Airport. The winner from among six European contenders is a joint venture of the Italian construction company Astaldi, and IC, a Turkish construction company.

In 2011 four major international hotel chains are expected to begin operations in St Petersburg. According to BaltInfo news agency, these include Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Domina Hotels & Resorts.

ExpoForum’s Convention and Exhibition Centre will be built according to the highest environmental standards, the so-called golden certificate issued by the prominent American organization, U.S. Green Building Council, LEED.

ExpoForum JSC joined two self-regulating associations: NP Northwest Alliance of Project Designers, and NP Construction Companies Association of St. Petersburg. This will allow ExpoForum to carry out both building project design and construction.

On January 13 ExpoForum JSC began removal of the existing engineering infrastructure, and began to prepare the ground for the new infrastructure on the territory of the new convention and exhibition centre which will open in 2013.

ExpoForum JSC signed a contract with Imtech Russland OJSC for consulting services to design the mechanical engineering systems for the hotels to be built at the ExpoForum International Convention and Exhibition Centre close to Pulkovo Airport.

The project design for the first stage of the Petersburg Highway reconstruction, which ExpoForum paid and ordered in agreement with the St. Petersburg city government, has been completed and sent to the state expertise agency. Construction is set to begin in 2011, and will be completed in 2013 in time for the opening of the new convention and exhibition centre.

ExpoForum JSC finalized the integrated plan to clear the current infrastructure from the site of the future convention and exhibition centre so that it corresponds with the greater effort to improve the transport system in the area.

Today the Fifth International OIL TERMINAL 2010 congress and exhibition opened. The topic is the transport, storage, and loading of oil, liquefied gas, and petroleum products. Participants include Ust Luga Company OJSC, whose stand was built by ExpoForum JSC.

On December 3 in the Lenexpo exhibition centre, the annual results for St. Petersburg’s exhibition industry will be announced. ExpoForum JSC and Lenexpo OJSC, who became partners in 2010, are the event's organizers.

The specialized exhibition and conference ``St. Petersburg Exhibition Industry,’’ opened today. ExpoForum spoke at the plenary meeting with a report titled, ``St. Petersburg’s Potential as a Convention Destination Through 2020.’’

Today, ExpoForum officials participated in the round table discussion, Pulkovo Business District: New Development Standards.’’ The event was another attempt to unite the efforts of developers active in this area, and to achieve a synergetic effect.

ExpoForum will present its project for a convention and exhibition centre at the Russian stand during the EIBTM meeting and incentive industry exhibition that takes place in Barcelona from November 30 to December 2.

Russian Railways is considering connecting the airports in St. Petersburg and Moscow to its high-speed railway planned between the two cities. If realized, this would significantly improve accessibility to the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre (???).

On November 2 officials gathered in Moscow to discuss the façade of the new convention and exhibition centre. The German consultant, Jurgen Bergmann, from the company Jochen Witt Consulting, was asked to review the design by chief architect, Sergei Tchoban.

On October 29, representatives from ExpoForum visited the Finnish factory, Finnforest, which makes Kerto construction materials. The factory is located not far from the city of Punkaharju in Finland. The representatives were studying opportunities for using modern and environmentally-safe materials for advanced structural engineering construction.

The Sixth Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference took place in Moscow on Oct. 25 to 27. Artem Klykov, head of hotel and office real estate at ExpoForum jsc, attended the conference and discussed the development of Russia’s hotel industry with leading experts.

ExpoForum participated in a meeting at the Committee for Energy and Infrastructure that discussed the construction of the transport and utilities infrastructure around the site of the future convention and exhibition centre. Representatives from VTB bank were also present at the meeting. VTB is involved with developing the site at the intersection of the Pulkovo Highway and the Volkhonsky Highway.

The St Petersburg City Committee for State Control and Protection of Historical and Cultural Sites (KGIOP) approved the transport system in the vicinity of the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The City Committee for Energy and Infrastructure held a meeting with the participation of ExpoForum and other interested officials to discuss hooking up the roadside lighting for the new city streets that will be built in the vicinity of the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition centre.

ExpoForum jsc signed a contract with Raduga, the exclusive representative of the German company, Hilpert, to provide consulting services for building a SPA complex in one of the hotels planned on the territory of the ExpoForum International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Russian government will spend nearly 2 billion rubles in 2011 to develop domestic tourism. Russia’s Minister for Tourism, Sport and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko announced these plans at a press conference on Sept. 27, the World Tourism Day.

At the sixth international educational conference, ``Business tourism: practices, decisions, and potential,’’ which took place on Sept. 22 in Moscow, ExpoForum discussed how to best promote Russia on the global events market.

Today during the 2010 Russian National Forum for Innovative Tourism Projects that took place in the building of Russia’s Federation Council, ExpoForum jsc general director Anatoly Erkulov spoke about ways to develop convention tourism in Russia.

Abolishing the system of travel visas was one of the main topics discussed at the Ninth International Investment Forum in Sochi. And end to the visa system would be a powerful stimulus for the development of convention tourism in Russia.

A stand designed by ExpoForum for Electrolux was one of the leading attractions of the TEXCARE trade fair which opened today in Moscow. Electrolux is showing its latest AquaClean professional laundry equipment that is only now available in Russia.

On September 9 a round table discussion was held on the topic, ``Infrastructure and commercial development in the vicinity of transport junctions,'' at the PROEstate2010 International Investment Forum.

Both the city government Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, and the Committee for Roads and City Maintenance, approved transport design plans that will be realized in the framework of the project, ``Transport infrastructure for the Convention and Exhibition Centre and its vicinity.’’

ExpoForum signed a contract with its European partners: JWC Consulting; and the marketing agency, Travel Marketing Factory (TMF), which will help develop ExpoForum's convention and exhibition center in St. Petersburg.

ExpoForum jsc signed an agreement with the St. Petersburg city government, marking the first time that a private company initiated and paid for the design of new transport infrastructure, covering 500 hectares. This decision was made today at a city hall meeting chaired by St Petersburg vice-governor Alexei Sergeev.

Improvement and planting of the city play an important role in the work of the city administration. Presence of Georgiy Poltavchenko, the Governor of Saint Petersburg, at the opening ceremony of the International Festival of Flowers and Landscape Design confirms this fact. ‘Our city deserves to be well-attended and decorated, in order to make the citizens happy and to energize our guests’ – noted the Governor.

Opening the first International Auto Transport Forum on 24 October, Alexander Prokhorenko, Chairman of the St Petersburg Committee for External Relations, named St Petersburg as the centre of the Russian car manufacturing industry.